My primary research interests are in the role that ecological processes play in structuring aquatic communities and their implications for the population dynamics of marine and estuarine fishes. I am interested in identifying factors that affect survival of early juveniles and extending knowledge of individual processes to understand interactions among size-structured populations. The population dynamics of the juvenile stages of many fishes are poorly understood and recent evidence has indicated that processes occurring during the first year of life post-metamorphosis can result in a significant bottleneck between larval stages of fishes and recruitment to the adult population. Recently, my research has centered on piscivore-prey interactions and the implications of habitat structure and behavior on size-dependent growth and survival of recreationally and commercially important species. I am also interested in how environmental conditions affect physiological processes and the relative importance of abiotic versus biotic factors in determining survival and distribution of fishes.

Klibansky, N. and F.S. Scharf. 2013. Size-dependent and temporal variability in batch number and fecundity of red porgy, a protogynous, indeterminate spawner, in the U.S. South Atlantic. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 5:39-52.